One Step Closer to the Edge
by daughterofthering
Summary: When Alison was alive, she lived to push Elizabeth Black closer to breaking point... Lucas is there to fix her if she breaks. So, when Alison disappears things start happening around them that are still pushing and pursuing, but love and hope can bloom even in the darkest of places... A's not the only one with a plan... Lucas/Oc M for swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, okay, don't kill me… I've started another fanfic… Sorry! I promise you I haven't given up on the others, but I've been itching to write this for so long I had to post it. Lauren? If you're reading this, HELLO! Anyway, enjoy the story and it IS a Lucas/Oc because I love Lucas :) **

**Warning: M for Swearing and Violence**

Chapter One

Elizabeth sighed and watched the hand of the clock slowly tick as the teacher droned on about Pythagoras' Theorem; there was still half an hour of the lesson left, much to Ellie's disdain. She glared down at her paper and continued to draw Sasuke, a character from her favourite anime, while the rest of the class seemed to take to staring at the teacher with vacant, half-asleep expressions. It never ceased to amaze her how effectively dim witted Rosewood Highs population was. Although, she would admittedly rather be doing other things than listening to teachers talk about a dead guy that discovered a complicated theory before she was even born.

"Miss Black!" Ellie snapped her head up to look at Mr Scotland, who was giving her the evil eye.

"Yes, sir?" She asked innocently. Mr Scotland stalked over to her desk, swiftly taking the drawing from her hands and studying sternly.

"However talented you are Miss Black, this is _not _an art lesson." He walked back to the front with her drawing and Ellie was left to glare holes into the back of his head.

When she had calmed herself down, her eyes met a fellow classmates brown ones. He paled for a second then blushed and looked down at his desk quickly, realising he had been caught staring. She quirked an eyebrow slightly before finally focusing on Mr Scotland who had gone onto talking about the work they would be doing the next couple of lessons.

The rest of the day went fairly well… Although she had a slight run in with the Queen Bee and her posse of Bitches. Elizabeth had never gotten along with them. Ever. Spencer was only one she could hold a conversation with for more than two sentences. The Popular group themselves were hanging out right next to her locker.

"Oh look, here comes Little Miss Black." Alison DiLaurentis smirked, eyeing Ellie.

"Piss off Alison." She countered feebly but her voice was barely above a whisper. She carried on walking and tensed when they walked beside her. Ellie could smell the perfume and body spray radiating from their clothes and their hair which to be blatantly honest did not smell all too good.

"We're in your next lesson though!" Aria chirped loudly.

"Oh no…" They ignored her little groan.

"And we just thought it would nice to walk with you." Emily added snidely. This is why Ellie hates them.

"Well you thought wrong." Ellie snapped, a little louder this time so it was sure to reach their ears. Alison glared at her with such a sudden hatred that Ellie was taken by surprise.

"Fine. We were only being nice, but it seems you're just some slutty, Gothic bitch." The blond sneered.

"Speak for yourself." Elizabeth laced her words together with as much venom as she could muster, "You're not _nice, _you've never been _nice, _so just fuck off with your little friends!"

The five girls stared at her in shock. Since when did Elizabeth Black have such a bite? Such an outburst intrigued the blond and made Alison want to see just how far Ellie could be pushed before she reached her breaking point, then what happened after that. Just how tough was Ellie? They'd only ever seen her quiet, isolated self, not this side of her. Maybe, just maybe, Alison could break this little lioness from her chains. Imagine what a sight that would be. Alison smirked widely, the beginnings of an idea flickering in her dangerous blue eyes. Ellie saw this and stepped back wearily, a nagging sensation in the back of her mind pulling her away.

"See you later Black." With that the Queen Bee walked past her, followed by her confused, bumbling followers.

Ellie watched her receding back carefully. She honestly didn't know where that had come from. She had never spoken like that to anyone before, let alone the most popular girl in Rosewood high! She shook away these thoughts and continued on her way to her Science classroom without a hitch. When she got there everyone was already sitting in their seats, even the Queen Bee was there smirking at the front.

"Ah, Miss Black, I'm afraid we've already chosen our partners for the project," Miss Moody said, giving Ellie a pointed look, "So I'm afraid you'll have to go with Lucas as he doesn't have a partner either."

Ellie looked around the classroom and she smiled at the brown eyed boy from earlier in Maths. His eyes widened and he looked at the desk in front of him shyly like he had done previously. Some people snickered and one boy muttered something to his friend. Ellie glared at him and he mumbled an apology as she strode past him to sit next to Lucas. He glanced at her and she smiled.

"My name's Elizabeth." She whispered as Miss Moody explained the projects, "Or you could just call me Ellie."

"M-My name's Lucas. Lucas G-Gottesman." He stuttered quietly. He certainly wasn't used to talking to girls, at least not ones as pretty as Ellie. It was her striking, emerald green eyes that got him. He hadn't seen such green eyes before. "Oh, and I-I managed to get y-your drawing back…"

"Really?" She grinned as he pulled out the paper from his bag and she took it gratefully, "Thanks… How did you get it?"

"Mr Scotland doesn't r-really pay attention to me much." He blushed, "He just l-left it on his desk."

"Oh, well thank you again Lucas."

"Your w-welcome…."

She smiled again before looking at Miss Moody. Apparently, the project was just to test various experiments using chemical reactions and then present them to two other groups. Both Lucas and Ellie were hoping it wasn't going to be the Queen Bee or her posse. Ellie opened her mouth to ask Lucas what they should do for their first experiment, when something light hit her arm. She frowned and looked down at the crumpled ball of paper next to her stool. She picked it up and unravelled it, eyes scanning the black ink somewhat hastily while Lucas watched silently, curious.

**Partnered up with Hermy the Hermaphrodite? Match made in hell, bitch—A**

Turning around slightly, Ellie stared at Alison angrily. The blond girl waved tauntingly with a devious smile gracing her lips and her eyes glistening. Ellie sighed and refrained from going over there and punching the daylights out of Alison. Lucas blinked at the exchange and cautiously tapped Ellie's tense shoulder. Said girl looked at him quickly and gripped the paper tighter, although his rich brown eyes were hard to ignore.

"What was that about?" He asked shyly, avoiding eye contact. Ellie smiled half-heartedly and shook her head.

"Nothing. How about we do an experiment I saw on YouTube the other day?" She asked, changing the subject. He gave her a look and she sighed.

"It's nothing, really. Just Alison and her gang." She admitted and Lucas frowned.

"What has she got on you?" Ellie chuckled mirthlessly.

"I'm shy, Goth, ugly, unpopular…What hasn't she got on me?" Lucas studied her for a few seconds.

"You're not ugly." He stated and her lips parted in shock, "What w-were you saying a-about that e-experiment?" He stuttered again, blushing.

"Oh um, yeah, right…."

_**-) That Afternoon (-**_

Ellie was laying on her bed, thinking about the Queen Bee. That glint in her eye when Ellie snapped at her… It was weird. It was like she was almost enjoying seeing Ellie so worked up, so angry. Ellie pushed her black fringe behind her ear and huffed; she was overthinking this far too much. Or was she? There was that note in Science: **Match made in hell, bitch. **This wasn't the usual nasty note, this was another thing entirely. Ellie groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache itched behind her eyes. It seems that day was not in her favour.

"Elizabeth! Dinner's ready!" Her mother's snide voided was calling from downstairs.

"Coming!" Ellie answered calmly. She shoved the note in her drawer and hurried downstairs.

Maybe this would all blow over by tomorrow...

Life's hard enough as it is.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Pretty Little Liars. Which means I don't own Lucas :(**

Chapter Two

Elizabeth was walking to school with her earphones blasting her favourite Green Day song and blocking out the world around her. Listening to music was the only way she could bring herself to even begin walking to school in the morning. Without her music, she'd be terrified of school but the lyrics, the rhythm, the story, they all bring back her confidence. Unfortunately, she was forced to take her earphones out once on school premises and face the daunting inheritance alone.

"_**I walk this empty **__**street**__**, on the Boulevard of Broken **__**Dreams**__**, where the city **__**sleeps**__**, and I'm the only one and I walk **__**alone**__**…" **_

She hummed to Billie Joe Armstrong's voice as she neared the school, but her bliss ended suddenly when her earphones were yanked from her ears and she hissed in shock and pain. Her emerald eyes blazed with anger as they met the blue eyes belonging to Alison DiLaurentis. Ellie continued to glower at the blond as she held her earphone up to her ear and pursed her lips. Ellie snatched her earphones back and shoved them into her jacket pocket.

"Is that the grungy rock crap you listen too?" She sneered, "You're more of an Emo than I thought."

"Green Day aren't Emo." Ellie muttered and tried to get past the group of girls, but Aria and Alison linked arms with her swiftly and pulled her along.

"I don't care what they are. You need to listen to different music." Alison chastised and Aria laughed loudly. Ellie sighed and kept her cool as she slipped out of their grips.

"No. I'm not going to miraculously change my music taste because _you _tell me too." Alison's smile was fake as she gave Ellie an almost disbelieving look.

"Why not?" She asked, "Everyone else does."

"I'm not everyone else." Ellie mumbled and Alison's smile turning into an angry frown.

"Then you better watch out." Alison barged past and the others followed, avoiding eye contact, but Spencer stopped and sighed.

"I like Green Day." That was all she said before following her friends, leaving Ellie standing outside the school in shock. Did Spencer just…? Shaking her head, Ellie walked into the school with her head held high and the slight feeling of dread weighing down on her heart.

Once she had found her locker, the dread had somewhat faded and she was almost ready for the lessons to begin. As she opened her locker, something fell out. Her eyebrows furrowed as she bent down to pick it up, the light paper folding under her fingertips. Another note? How could it have gotten in her locker? It couldn't have been pushed through the grate, she had a poster covering the slits on the inside of the door… She decided just to read it:

**She's not the only predator—M. **

M? So it's not Alison this time? The note Alison had given her was labelled A… Maybe this was just her way of trying to throw her off. Ellie's blood boiled as she took her books from her locker and slammed it shut, gaining her many looks from on looking students. She ignored them and stormed towards Alison's locker. Sure enough, the Queen Bee was chatting with Hanna next to her locker. The two blonds watched Ellie as she got closer to them, noticing how her jaw constantly tensed as she gritted her teeth.

"How the fuck did you get into my locker?" She hissed. Alison raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't." Ellie scoffed.

"Then how did this get in here!?" Ellie asked, holding out the note. Alison read it and shrugged.

"I've never seen it before in my life." It was Ellie's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Which means _I didn't write this._"

"Come on, let's go." Hanna muttered and Alison more than happily complied.

Ellie watched the two girls walk away, the note still clasped in her fingers tightly. She stood there for a few minutes, simply trying to understand who could have put this note in her locker and why would they have even wanted too. Who was the note referring to anyway? Alison? Shit.

"Why don't you go run to your little girlfriend, Hermy?"

Alison's voice echoed down the almost empty corridor, and slapped Ellie out of her reverie. She looked around but she couldn't see them. As she turned the corner however, she came face to face with a scene that made her heart drop into her stomach. Alison, Aria, Hanna and Emily were smirking down at none other than Lucas Gottesman who quite frankly looked like he was about to throw up. His cheeks were flushed red and his eyes were watery with unshed tears, even though they brightened slightly when they met Ellie's horrified green eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ellie asked, turning her glare to the four malicious girls surrounding her friend.

"Only what he deserves." Alison said and gave Lucas a deadly stare, the brown eyed boy visibly shrinking away against the lockers behind him.

"Why does he deserve to be bullied exactly?" Ellie continued and Aria scoffed almost as if the answer was obvious.

"Haven't you heard the rumours?" Ellie nodded, "Then you know why!"

"Like you said yourself, they're just rumours." The four girls shared a look, "So leave him the fuck alone, or karma with kick you where the sun don't shine."

"Sure, whatever," Alison rolled her eyes and smirked, "Have fun with your boyfriend, Emo."

"Sticking up for him does not instantly mean I'm dating him." Ellie said sharply, "Now piss off."

As the four girls strutted away begrudgingly, Ellie looked at Lucas and frowned when she noticed the black bruise beginning to form around his right eye. When she looked back at the girls though, they had already disappeared and their taunting laughter was lingering in the air.

"You didn't have to do that you know." Lucas stated when she kneeled down next to him. She shook her head.

"Yes I did." She muttered.

She cautiously lifted her hand and placed her palm gently down on his cheek, running her thumb carefully over the bruise under his eye. He blushed harder, if it was even possible for him to get any redder, and winced at the same time. She frowned and lowered her hand slightly, but not removing it fully.

"Did she hit you?" She asked and he sighed repeatedly.

"No. Her boyfriend did. Alison only put salt to the wound I'm afraid." Her hand fell to her lap and his cheek suddenly felt cold.

"I'll take you to the nurse." She smiled and stood up, holding her hand out. He took it albeit hesitantly.

"You don't have to. We're already late…" He murmured and gave her a weak, almost painful smile. She had that look on her face much like the one a mother would give her child that said 'I know best'.

"I don't care. You need ice for that, or something." She grabbed his hand and dragged him down the corridor. In all seriousness, he was too shocked and flustered to pull away.

As the pair entered the nurse's office, Mrs Harvey jumped up and rushed towards them and started fussing over Lucas. Ellie giggled as she watched the nurse rub ointment and ice over his eye and he glared weakly at her. She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing any more but almost immediately sobered up when Mrs Harvey turned to her with furrowed eyebrows, looking over the rim of her half-moon glasses at the dark hatred girl.

"You may go to your lesson, Miss Black." She said curtly. Ellie nodded quickly and smiled at Lucas.

"Find me at break!" She said and rushed out of the nurse's office, barely hearing Lucas' faint reply.

-Later-

It was break and Ellie had forgotten about her promise to see Lucas, so was in her art classroom, standing in front of a half filled canvas with her music blasting once again through her phone. She carried on painting, unaware of the door opening behind her, and began to sing along with Gerard Way.

"_**They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of **__**me**__**, they could care less as long as someone will **__**bleed**__**, **__**so**__** darken your clothes or strike a violent **__**pose**__**, maybe they'll leave you alone, but not **__**me**__**…"**_

There was a loud knock behind her and she whipped around to stare wide eyed at Lucas Gottesman, who stood awkwardly in the doorway with his hands shoved into his jean pockets. She blushed heavily and looked away, embarrassed that he had heard her singing.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, stumbling over her words slightly and he shrugged.

"You said to find you at break so… Here I am."

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that… Sorry, I should have told you I was going to be in here." She admitted regretfully and he shrugged again.

"It's alright. At least now I know you're a good singer." He teased lightly and she blushed again.

"I'm not that good." She said quietly and he raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment any further on it. He sat down and there was a slight silence in which he watched her paint.

"So, you're an artistic kind of girl." He stated and she chuckled.

"I guess you could say that." She smiled.

"You can sing, you can paint… Are you a dancer by any chance?" He asked cheerfully and she laughed.

"God no! I couldn't dance to save my life!" She said and grinned at him cheekily, "You wouldn't want to get caught in a slow dance with me, that's for sure." Lucas' cheeks grew red at the thought of slow dancing with Ellie.

"Why did Mr Baxter let you use his classroom?" He asked when he managed to get rid of the blush. She sighed and studied her painting.

"He says I have a talent for art. He's about the only teacher that doesn't hate my guts." She added a little more black paint to the canvas.

"Mrs Harvey didn't seem too fond of you. Neither does Miss Moody now I think about it." He frowned and she smiled softly.

"I think my parents pay them to hate me sometimes." She chuckled. He stood up and walked towards her.

"Why would they do that?" He asked and she froze, realising she had maybe said a little too much.

"I… Um…"

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want too." He smiled but she shook her head.

"No. I think it's time I told some one." She looked into his brown eyes, "And you're the only person who's ever cared." She placed her paintbrush down and turned her music off. He sat down and she followed slowly, sitting next to him.

"My mum and dad don't exactly think very highly of me," She began, "They favour my older sister. Everything I do, she always manages to do it better. My parents don't give a shit about me and they never have. They make me do all the chores, they hate the music I listen too, the grades I get, my hobbies, the way I dress. They hate everything about me and I can see it in their eyes. But when they look at Victoria all they see is their perfect daughter, because she's everything they want her to be: good grades and rich friends! I don't remember them ever telling me stories at night, tucking me in, buying me gifts…They never even said 'Good job' or 'well done' for anything I did…" Tears started spilling down her cheeks and she swallowed the hard lump in her throat, "They always compare me too Victoria, always telling me I should be more like her and I hate it!" She started sobbing into her hands now and Lucas blinked in shock at her sudden outburst.

"Hey… Don't cry…" He couldn't stop himself from swiftly pulling her onto his lap and holding her tightly as she sobbed into his shirt, her fingers clutching the fabric in a death grip as she tried to calm herself down.

"I'm s-sorry…" She mumbled shakily, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Shih…" He rubbed her back gently and rocked her slightly.

Unbeknownst to the pair, blue eyes were watching them through the window. A demonic smile stretched across the persons face, white teeth showing, and a dark chuckle slipping out. Backing away from the window, the figure pulled out a phone.

"Game on, Elizabeth Black, Game on."

**-A/N-**

**Do you like it? I wanted it to be different, take a different direction. What do you guys think M stands for? I have it all planned out :) The next chapter will be the last before the time jump to the years after Alison disappeared. Bye-Bye for now!**


End file.
